Mississippi Department of Education Mathematics Instructional Coaching Services

Assets & Needs Assessment #3

May 2022

As part of the first Assets & Needs Assessment, Teaching Lab conducted a variety of data collection activities, including a teacher survey and classroom observations, a student survey and analysis of student work samples, and a family survey.

Summary of Results

  • There are opportunities for participants to improve equitable mindsets, particularly surrounding the importance of recognizing students’ race and culture and holding high expectations for all students, even those with unfinished learning.

  • On average, participants are somewhat confident in implementing culturally responsive teaching practices. Teachers’ responses indicate that they feel most confident using students’ prior knowledge to help them make sense of new information. They rated themselves as less confident in other culturally responsive teaching practices, such as revising instructional material to better represent cultural groups and identifying ways that school culture is different from students’ home cultures, among others.

  • Teachers have potential for growth related to content and pedagogical content knowledge, as the average score on the assessment that focused on equitable instruction in general and effective instructional practices specifically for students with unfinished learning was 45%.

  • Regarding instructional practices, participants demonstrated the most positive ratings on the IPG for Core Action 1 (75% on average), which observes whether and to what extent the work of the enacted lesson reflects the Focus, Coherence, and Rigor required by college- and career-ready standards in mathematics. However, positive ratings for Core Action 2, focused on the extent to which instructional practices allow all students to learn the content of the lesson, and Core Action 3, providing all students with opportunities to exhibit mathematical practices while engaging with the content of the lesson, were significantly lower (29% and 24%, respectively).

  • Students’ responses related to their learning experiences were positive overall, especially for self-efficacy, teacher-student relationships, and being challenged. Lower average scores were observed for culturally responsive and sustaining education practices and happiness and sense of belonging.

  • The analysis of student work samples suggested that assigning grade-level tasks and students’ proficiency on tasks can improve. Of the student work samples collected, only 65% of the tasks were determined to be on grade-level. Moreover, only 31% of students demonstrated proficiency on grade-level student work tasks that were scored.

  • The family survey results suggest that students’ families have somewhat positive perceptions about teacher-family relationships and support and teacher-student relationships. Additionally, family perceptions of student learning were very positive, with 85% of caregivers reporting that their children complete most or all of their assignments and 92% reporting that their children have learned some or a lot this year.

Section 1: Participant Feedback

Ongoing Coaching Participant Feedback

End-of-Coaching Participant Feedback

Section 2: Mindsets

Equitable Mindsets Summary

Teachers responded to seven items about mindsets, including three items related to recognizing race and culture and four items related to holding high expectations for all students on a 5-point Likert scale. Composite measures were created for each construct by reverse coding some items and then averaging responses across items. In this way, higher scores correspond to holding equitable mindsets.

Mindsets and Beliefs
Percent

Overall Score

63%

Recognition of Race & Culture

58%

High Expectations & Beliefs

58%

Self-efficacy in CRSE Practices

73%
n = 69.4285714285714

Recognizing Race and Culture Items

Recognition of Race & Culture
Question1 Percent

Overall Score

58%

I am color blind when it comes to my
teaching I don't think of my students in
terms of their race or ethnicity

41%

The gap in the achievement among
students of different races is about
poverty not race

56%

I think about my own background and
experiences and how those affect my
instruction

76%
n = 69
1 For the items in red, responses that align to equitable mindsets are strongly disagree/disagree. They have been reverse coded for these analyses, so that for all items, higher percentages correspond to holding equitable mindsets.

High Expectations items

High Expectations & Beliefs
Question1 Percent

Overall Score

58%

I try to keep in mind the limits of
my students ability and give them
assignments that I know they can do so
that they do not become discouraged

50%

Before students are asked to engage in
complex learning tasks they need to have
a solid grasp of basic skills

32%

It is not fair to ask students who
are struggling with english to take on
challenging academic assignments

61%

Teachers should provide all students
the opportunity to work with grade level
texts and tasks

87%
n = 69
1 For the items in red, responses that align to equitable mindsets are strongly disagree/disagree. They have been reverse coded for these analyses, so that for all items, higher percentages correspond to holding equitable mindsets.

Teachers also responded to six items about self-confidence in their ability to engage in culturally responsive and sustaining education (CRSE) practices on a scale from 0 (not at all confident) to 10 (extremely confident). Responses were averaged across items. Higher scores correspond to higher self confidence.

Culturally Responsive and Sustaining Education Self-Efficacy Summary and Items

Section 3: Instructional Practices

Teaching Lab staff observed teachers using the IPG rubric. Ratings of 3 and 4 on 4-point Likert scales and Yes on a Yes/No items were considered positive.

IPG Ratings

Core Action 1

Core Action 2

Core Action 3

Section 4: Student Learning Experiences

Teachers administered a student survey to at least one of their groups. Using 5-point Likert-type scales, students responded to eight items related to their teachers’ engagement in CRSE practices, three items related to teacher-student relationships, five items about self-efficacy, six items about happiness and sense of belonging, and five items about being challenged. Responses were averaged across items. Higher scores correspond to more positive experiences.

Pre1 Post2
Overall Positive Student Learning Environment Score
78% 82%
Culturally Responsive & Sustaining Education
My teacher wants students from different cultures to respect one another. 86% 89%
My teacher uses what I already know to help me understand new ideas. 82% 85%
My teacher uses examples from my culture when teaching. 65% 69%
My teacher asks about ways that students’ cultures may be different from others. 56% 61%
My teacher helps students learn about other students and their cultures. 58% 60%
My teacher asks about students’ home life. 52% 58%
My teacher treats all students like they are important members of the classroom. 85% 91%
This class is a happy place for me to be. 78% 83%
Teacher-Student Relationships
I like the way my teacher treats me when I need help. 85% 89%
My teacher seems to know if something is bothering me. 75% 82%
I can do almost all the work in this class if I don’t give up. 85% 87%
Self-Efficacy
Even when work is hard, I know I can learn it. 85% 88%
I'm certain I can master the skills taught in this class. 83% 88%
When doing work for this class, I focus on learning, not the time work takes. 78% 83%
I have been able to figure out the most difficult work in this class. 77% 82%
My teacher makes sure that I try to do my best. 90% 91%
Happiness & Sense of Belonging
In this class, I feel like I belong. 78% 83%
Being in this class makes me feel sad or angry. 46% 48%
The things we have done in class this year are interesting. 82% 86%
Because of this teacher, I am learning to love this subject. 80% 87%
I enjoy this subject this year. 79% 87%
My teacher makes me feel that he/she really cares about me. 82% 89%
Being challenged
In this class, we learn a lot almost every day. 87% 88%
In this class, we learn to correct our mistakes. 87% 91%
In this class, my teacher accepts nothing less than our full effort. 86% 89%
My teacher wants us to use our thinking skills, not just memorize things. 88% 91%
1 n = 1031
2 n = 302

Section 5: Student Math Proficiency

Teachers collected student work samples of a task that involved explaining mathematical thinking or reasoning from all students in at least one of their groups. Teaching Lab coaches first determined whether the task was on grade-level and whether it met the criteria of explaining mathematical thinking or reasoning. If so, then the work samples were scored using a 2-point rubric. Students who scored 2 on the rubric were considered to demonstrate proficiency on the grade-level task.

Percent n
Student tasks on grade-level. 65% 160
Students who demonstrated proficiency on a grade-level task 31% 52

Section 6: Family Experiences & Perceptions

Schools and teachers assisted in sending home a voluntary survey to their students’ families. Using Likert-type scales, caregivers responded to seven items related to teacher-family relationships and support, five items related to teacher-student relationships, and two items related to their child’s learning. Responses were averaged across items. Higher scores correspond to more positive family perceptions and experiences.

Pre1 Post2
Overall Positive Family Experiences & Perceptions %
77% 85%
Teacher-Family Relationships and Support
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. - I feel comfortable reaching out to my child’s teacher if I have questions or concerns 83% 92%
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. - I am satisfied with how often my child’s teacher engages with me. 77% 83%
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. - My child’s teacher communicates with me or other family members about my child’s educational progress. 76% 81%
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. - My child’s teacher structures parent-teacher conferences so that the meeting is not intimidating for me or other family members attending. 75% 79%
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. - My child’s teacher establishes positive home-school relationships. 76% 84%
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. - My child’s teacher communicates with me or family members of my child in positive ways, not just when there is a problem. 75% 88%
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. - My child is excited to go to class. 76% 86%
Teacher-Student Relationships
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. - My child is comfortable talking to their teacher. 74% 91%
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. - My child can get the help they need to complete their schoolwork. 82% 93%
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. - My child’s teacher regularly shares detailed feedback on my child’s work. 74% 80%
Please indicate your level of agreement with the following statements. - The work my child is being asked to do is helping them learn new things. 80% 88%
1 n = 107
2 n = 16

Caregiver Perceptions of Student Learning

How many assignments does your child complete?

Pre1 Post2
All of their assignments 49% 73%
Most of their assignments 34% 20%
Some of their assignments 8%
Few of their assignments 5% 7%
I’m not sure 4%
1 n = 77
2 n = 15

Which best matches your belief about your child’s experience so far this year?

Pre1 Post2
My child has learned a lot this year. 53% 80%
My child has learned some this year. 40% 13%
My child has learned a little this year. 5% 7%
My child has learned nothing this year. 1%
1 n = 77
2 n = 15
 

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